Monday, July 9, 2012

Too Much Talk About the Environment?

Too much talk about the
environment makes our attempts at eating and living well worrisome.
Some would like the talk reduced; it tends to bring fear into our
lives, says the author of the book Where are the Polar Bears Going to Go?

Interviewed by both Catholic papers, the author, a priest with a
doctorate in environmental science, says the issue is not going to go
away simply because we don't want to talk about it.

He
explains why we need to take an interest in the environment: the
diseases we are exposed to because of the chemical toxins that are
entering the food chain, the spread of hormones in the environment
which can affect sterility, the dangers of genetic engineering, among
many other areas of concern.

Some
time in the future will we be talking less about the state of our
democracy, he maintains, and more about the state of our environment. At
present, those who are harming democracy are penalized; the time will
come when those harming the environment will also be penalized. The
pollution and destruction of the environment are serious matters, but we
are not sufficiently conscious of the destruction.

Koreans,
generally, do not appreciate the beauty of our environment, he says,
even though the natural environment of Korea is one of the most
beautiful in the world, and we are taking care of it. There is no other
country that has succeeded in preserving its forests like Korea has:
over 65 percent of the land surface is forested. We should start celebrating the beauty of our natural environment.

The
author wants religious people to read the signs of the times and be
prophetic in their efforts to speak out in this area before it gets
worse. He gives us a list of ten things we can do to help: 1) Love nature as we love ourselves. 2) Don't do harm to
the animal and vegetable life. 3) Let us boast about the ways of simplicity and be
embarrassed about luxury. 4) Have a simple diet and not waste food.
5) Separate our waste and recycle. 6) Use electricity and water
sparingly and use detergents carefully. 7) Don't use disposable
products. 8) Control the use of heat and air conditioning. 9) Use the
bicycle and public transportation more. 10) Reduce the emitting of methane
gases.